National Constitution Center exhibit illuminates rise and fall of Prohibition

It may be hard to believe, but there was an era in America when alcohol was prohibited. In 1920, the 18th Amendment went into effect, meaning that the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors” was illegal.

Prohibition was in the Constitution of the United States for 13 years — it came into law as a result of a nation that used and abused alcohol. While it may have helped a country with an increasing alcohol problem, it spawned crime and corruption.

“American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition,” is running at the National Constitution Center through April 28, 2013. The temperance movement, bootleggers, political figures, flappers and the gangsters — everything is on display.

The exhibit explores the years that led up to Prohibition — the actions that ultimately caused the 18th Amendment to be drafted, the years of Prohibition — 1920 to 1933, and how and why the 21st Amendment was ratified to end Prohibition.

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“This is an exhibition that has everybody jazzed,” David Eisner, president and CEO of the Constitution Center said at the press preview for the exhibit. “It will dazzle visitors of all ages.”

Once the exhibit ends at the Constitution Center, it won’t just be taken down and stored away, it will tour other museums across the country through the beginning of 2016.

Until recently, Prohibition has not been discussed frequently in classrooms and lecture halls; it has taken a backseat to the rest of American history.

“In most history books, it’s only a paragraph, maybe a sentence,” said Daniel Okrent, exhibition curator and author of “Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition.”

With the 100th anniversary of the 18th Amendment only a few years away, interest in Prohibition has been on the rise. The HBO hit show “Boardwalk Empire” and the movie “Lawless” chronicle bootlegging and political corruption — “Boardwalk Empire” in Atlantic City, and “Lawless” in Franklin County, Va.

In total, there are more than 100 artifacts on display, such as a cane and a cigar case made with a hidden pouch to keep your flask out of plain view. Just don’t let Carrie Nation find out what you’re up to — she might smash it into pieces! A member of the anti-temperance movement prior to the 18th Amendment, she was known to raid bars and attack the bar and its alcohol with her hatchet. One of Nation’s hatchets is on display in the exhibit.

One of the first facts that can be found in the exhibit explains that in 1830, Americans were drinking 90 bottles of 80 proof liquor a year, equivalent to four shots every day. This is three times the level of the amount of alcohol Americans currently consume. It could be argued that alcohol in the 1800s was as common and viewed as socially normal as coffee is today. During the work day, 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. was referred to as “grog time,” as workers were given a break to have a drink.

The later part of the 19th century marked attempts by groups such as the Anti-Saloon League (ASL) to obtain temperance — which could be moderation or complete abstinence. These groups put out statistics, figures and propaganda — some of which are on display — showing the ill effects of alcohol; men who drank were more likely to abuse their wives and children; alcohol drinkers had more health problems, were unhappier and were more likely to commit suicide.

Films were made to show the evils of alcohol, portraying the downfall of those who consumed it. “Ten Night in a Bar Room,” an 1854 book, was turned into a play and was later made into a silent film. The main character is a successful family man, but once he starts consuming alcohol he becomes a heavy drinker, which negatively affects his relationship with his family.

Temperance hymns “Tell Your Mother I’ll Vote Dry” and “When the Girls Can Vote” can be heard as well. The woman’s suffrage movement coincided with Prohibition, as the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, giving women the right to vote.

Visitors can take a quiz titled “Wet or Dry,” which tells them if they were likely to be a drinker or not, based on their gender, religion, part of the country they lived in and political preferences. For example, many felt that immigrants were more likely to be “wet.” From 1870 to 1900, the years when millions of immigrants came to America, the amount of saloons in the country tripled.

The 18th Amendment was ratified on Jan. 16, 1919, set to take effect one year later. It was clear that temperance was not working. One man who can be given much credit for the Constitutional Amendment is Wayne Wheeler, chief lobbyist for the Anti-Saloon League. Wheeler was a powerful man with political influence in both parties. There is a 20-foot wall in the exhibit that shows some of the steps Wheeler took and how the 18th Amendment was established, drafted and ratified.

Included is an explanation of the Volstead Act, which is what made the amendment so extreme — it defined “intoxicating liquors” as a beverage with more than 0.5 percent alcohol. This meant that beer and wine would be illegal as well — something that surprised many of Prohibition’s original supporters.

On display are interactive screens where visitors can test their knowledge of what was and wasn’t legal when it came to obtaining alcohol. A doctor could write 100 prescriptions a month and prescribe one pint every 10 days to a patient; this was known as “medicinal alcohol.” It was also legal for sacramental purposes; rabbis and priests had access. Of course, the men who had the luxury of being able to obtain alcohol used it to their advantage.

Despite Prohibition, Americans still found ways to get their hands on alcohol almost immediately. Speakeasies across the country still found ways to receive and serve alcohol, whether it was homemade or bought off of bootleggers. Men and women mingled, danced and drank together. Before Prohibition, saloons were typically male-only.

The exhibit has a room set up similar to a speakeasy. There’s a bar with the different types of drinks that were made, a powder room, and a dance floor where visitors can learn the Charleston. It also details the entertainers who got their big breaks playing in speakeasies and has a wall dedicated to the fashion accessories of the era, including dresses of flappers.

There is a section dedicated to bootleggers and gangsters of Prohibition, along with a photo opportunity — visitors can have their picture taken, mug-shot style, by standing in a lineup of cutouts of Meyer Lansky, Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. Type in your email address and it will be in your inbox when you get home.

Even though no constitutional amendment was repealed at the time and it didn’t look like the 18th would be, the Great Depression drastically changed everything. The government realized it could make alcohol legal and tax it. On Dec. 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, making alcohol legal once again. “Happy Days Are Beer Again” became a popular slogan, taken from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s campaign song, “Happy Days Are Here Again.”

Prohibition may not have been a complete failure – Americans drank much less than they did before Prohibition. It’s a consensus though that it ultimately did not succeed. The majority could not be ignored forever.

As the center explains at the end of the exhibit, the “appetites of individuals could not be easily governed.”

The exhibit may be the center’s most complete to date — it includes artifacts, interactive stations, audio, video and even a video game where visitors can play the role of the Coast Guard, steering a ship and attempting to catch rumrunners coming in from Canada.

The who, what, when, where, why and how of Prohibition are all inside.